Eastern Conference Champions 'Ameritown' album

"Alright, I'll play with you fuckers." It was really just five words and an unnecessary swear, but Josh Ostrander and Greg Lyons knew they had found the person they had been looking for. It was in a smoky bar on a random night in the summer of 2005 when Vern Zaborowski uttered the elegant statement. A toast was made, drinks were raised and glasses clinked together: the Eastern Conference Champions were born.

Eastern Conference Champions hails from just outside of Philadelphia in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Longtime friends Greg and Josh had already worked together recording with the band Laguardia. Their full-length Welcome To The Middle (2003) was a critical success, but big-label politics kept the record on ice and left the band high and dry. It was a frustrating experience for Greg and Josh, and the two left their friends and band mates to go back to work on their own terms.

The summer of 2004 was a character-building experience for the two. Just a few months earlier they'd been a nationally-touring, major label act, and now they found themselves back where they started: doing manual labor, digging holes under the glaring sun. Not a couple of guys to bitch and moan about the hand they'd been dealt, the friends jumped right back on the horse and used their free time at night to write and record what would become the material for their EP. The Southampton Collection, named after their hometown, contained a wonderful set of songs reeking of liberation and lost love, fashioned under the influence of 7 a.m. coffee and cigarette breakfasts.

When the two finally decided to take their music to the people, they discovered their old friend Vern, who recently parted ways with CKY. The equally disheveled and disgruntled bass player heard what Josh and Greg were working on and the trio was formed. Soon they began playing shows in Philly and NYC, catching attention with an unabashed approach to their live performances. Publications like Blender took notice, remarking that they found it "refreshing to see a band who actually looked like they enjoyed playing their songs." There's nothing more disheartening than to watch a band play like they wish they weren't there, and that's never the case with Eastern Conference Champions.

The EP was released in March of 2006 on Retone Records, and as the boys continued to play, the list of band supporters grew. One fan was Suretone's Jordan Schur, who heard the band's EP and thought it was strong enough to sign the band on the spot. Another such ally was Brit-pop super-producer Owen Morris (Oasis, The Verve). Morris relished the thought of producing the band's major-label full-length so much that he crossed the pond to work with the trio, and the resulting labor of love is Ameritown.

Ameritown showcases the band's variety in songwriting and crystallizes all the elements that create the ECC sound. Simple piano and marching-band drum rudiments exist next to distorted barre chords. Josh's distinct voice and original melodies create hooks that soar to anthem-like proportions on "Single Sedative" and the crowd-rousing "Yuppy Hipster." Vern's bass dynamism and Greg's driving beats, which SPIN.com called "spot on," create a captivating whole throughout the album. Songs range from the lilting and lullaby-like "The Box" and "Some Sorta Light," to the deeply complex and passionate musical assaults of "Noah" and "Nice Clean Shirt." The secret weapon of the record seems to be Josh's lyrics, which can seamlessly flip from showing compassion to being completely heartless.

In an age overrun with pre-fab, metrosexual rock bands, it's pretty refreshing to see a group of guys walk on stage looking like they know they're damn lucky to be playing music for a living. The audience instantly sees that the band lacks the pretension that seems to come hand-in-hand with a lot of groups today; their sheer delight shows in their stubble-faced smiles every time they plant themselves in front of a crowd.

Right now, Eastern Conference Champions are crisscrossing the country in their van and playing whenever and wherever they can, wowing crowds and loving every minute of it.

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Eastern Conference Champions - Ameritown